Vehicle body



$1.0. HUUOM.

VEHxCLE BUSY. nPPucAmN mi!) SEPT. m 19H.

1,327,558. Patented Jan. t3, N90.

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VEHICLE BODY.

APPLICATION HLD SEVV. IU |91?. 1,327,558

Patented Jan. 1920.

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VEHCLE BUDY. APPUCAHQN msn sLPT. lo. 19| I.

Patented J un. (i,l

ALBERT 'OWEN HOLTOM, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

VEHICLE-sony.

' salutation of Lettonhten Patented J an. 6, 1920.

Application tiled September 10. 1917. Serial lo. 190,592.

To an whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, Amnn'r O. Houiou, a subject of the King of England, resldm at New York cit in the. county of New ork and State of ew York, have invented oer tain new and useful 1m rovements in Vehicle-Bodies; and I do ereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, able others skilled in the ep rtains tomakeend .use the saine. i

' i'his invention relatesto automobile bodies and more'particularly 'to that type where the elements of construction remit ei ai iiieloeed or openlt of y.

It has for an ob] to provide body having a double wall to form a pocket in 'which curtainsor closures for use in the formation of the closed body may be oon-Y cealed when itis desired to convert the body intoanoent peofbocly. V

.A furt er o )ect ovfthisy invention is the revision of n. construction for' vehicle bodies in which the usual top rail about the side of thehody serves as a suplport in forming e superstructure over whic the top ma placed, when the sections of the top rai are swun to intended position. i

A urther object of this invention is the provislon of a vehicle body having portions thereof movable to form a superstructure, and having a flexible covering extensibly 'carried in said body to be drawn over the superstructure and attached thereto.'`

A further objectv of this invention is the' ti'ally of sections of the top rail about the walls of said body, flexible curtains extensibly carried in the side walls ofthe body, and means provision of a, superstructure formed par when said curtains are in their extended position.

Further objects will be apparent from the following specification. appended claims and drawings, in whieh Figure 1 is e. perspective view of n vehicle body made in accordance. with this invention,

Fig. 2 is a rear view of n portion of the body showing the suporstrmztnre formed thereon,

Fig. 3 is a vertiffni sclftiornii View of' n poi-.tion of tho sirio wai? showing the supervstructm'e.

Fig. 4 B COmpOste suction wiwi sirve,-

such as willen-A art to which ita vehicle 'and havin for rendering a water tight joint' tion in perspective viewas on the line 4 4 of Fig. l,

Fig. 5 is ai on the'line 5-5 of Fi 1,

Fig. 6 is a `vertice cross-sectional view through a. portionof the side wall showing the superstructure folded,

Fig. 7 is a sectional vlew showing a'modifcation of the. form of superstructure,

Fig; 8' is e side elevation showing ,a sli htiy Lmodiedtye. of convertible body,

gig. 9 is a plan ew thereof, and Fig.` 10 is a cross-sectional viewas on line 10' 10 of Fig. 9. Referring to the drawings ,in whiohv several features are clear! shown, 10 indicates a body having the side walls foi-ined of the outer shells 11 and inner shells' 12, doors h' in the side walls in the usua. manner. ese doors com rise .the outer shells 18, and the 'inner she 14. LA.' to rail comprising the section 1'5 is se cur to the body to have these sectionsoverlle the openings formed by the double walls annil these sections are hingedly secured to M thebzbodjT asl)` thebrackets 16. .These seetions may be ormedof woody; sheetmetsl ini'hannel form, and iirflitlier of, the con structlons', vv-1 17 are formed:-1 By mounting the sections' 15 on ,the brmets 16, the may be swung to vertical posi on at whic time, extensions 18 which are' `ingedly cerred by the sections 15 muyng to form a top rail of the su rstructure. Where the openings form by` the superstructure are of lesslen h than approximately twice the length o the sections 15, it is necessary to provide a supplemental support for the free end of the ero` tension 18, so I provide a support formed of 96 two sections 19 and 20 hinged to each other as at 2l, which may be swung from between the side walls to vertical position where it may be attached as at 22 to the free end of the extension. The lower end of one of the members may be supported by a bracket 16 m similar manner to the sections 15. To provide n span over the door-way, a leaf 23 mayl be hingedly carried by one of the extensions 18 in either side of the doorway.

When the superstructure is formed by raising the sections 15, ewin 'n the ertensions 1B to form the top raislo the superstructure and extending the supplemental supports .for the free ends of these extenl1 horizonte' c'ic-tional rif-.w as

sions, curtains-24 may be drawn from the pocket formed :by the double. walls of the body and seuied to the superstructure. These curtains are mounted upon rollers 25 carried by the brackets 26 and when these curtains have been drawn to the desired degree. a tuck 27 formed across the curtain is so positioned as to overlie the outer shell 11 so that water running down the curtain is directed to the outer face of the outer shell. The rear and top curta'l'n is provided at intervals with the cross bars 28 which connect the opposite sides of the superstructure, and these bars have fasteners 29 formed thereon which enter holes 30- in the members of the superstructure. This ca rtain also has the Hap 31 formed then-on which hangs over the sides of the top rail of the superstructure.

The side curtains have fasteners 32 secured therein which enter'holes 33 in the uprights of the superstructure. The edge of the curtain hasa reinforcing strip 34 secured thereto which is formed by bending the length of metal upon itself to grip the opposite sidefof the curtain. Fasteners 35 are carried-bythis strip and these fasteners enter hol'sgBG-in the top rails of the su erstructure. Itis evident that when t ese `strips are 'secured to the'top rail, they reinforce the top` 4rail along the joints. These strips also have leaves 37 hingedly secured thereto whichre spring pressed to securely grip the. the cover when these side cirtainsae tended and secured in posi- In Fig. 7, 38 is carried by l-inks 39 which permit this top rail serving in its ca acity in both the compact and extended orlns. It is also possible to su port the top rail by having pins carried by inks operate in slots formed in the under face of this top rail.

It is evident that in proportioning the length of the uprights-l, due consideration must be given to the dimensions of the opening to be formed by the superstructure, and the dimensions must be so p'roportionvl` as to accommodate four panel sec ons and the door sections. It is also possible to support the extensions 18 as by the folding braces 40 to temporarily hold these extensions until the. cross bar 28 ofthe cover are secured in place. In forming the upright with the recessed portion 17, clearance is provided to permit curtains 24 being drawn through the opening formed between the upper edges of the two shells. That is, it allows a curtain of the maximum width bcingused `to permit the curtains being secured to the' upright. Thefasteners 29 and 35 are not intended to show any piirticular type. but are conventional inasmuch as any similar type of fastener ma," be substituted therefor. The curtains will preferably be provided with transparent inserts and the rear curthe frames 44 as at 46,

tains may also haw: a similar insert if desired.

By securing the front end of the top curo tain to the wind shield and by providing the reinforcing cross strips 28 together with the other reinforcing strips formed on the side curtains, it is evident that a solid superstructure is formed when all of the parts are properly positioned. lVhen the top curtain is secured in place, it securely ties the several sections of the superstructure so that damage from 'wind cannot occur when the side curtains are concealed.

In Figs. S, 9 and 10, there is shown a body 41 having double side walls to form a pocket as described above. Guides 42 are secured between the side walls, and these guides slidablyr sup ort the Stiles 43 of the frames 44. These rames may bel raised to form a superstructure, by which, the roof is sustained, and the roof is preferably formed of sections 45 hingedly carried by against the frames and slide into the pockets in the sidewalls when the cover is-to be concealed. The doors in the'body have-in` which sections fold` dependently slidable frames 47 mounted thereinl in guides Similar to those shown at 42. i

To provide roof sections overlyingA the space between the doors, sections 48 are ingedly carried 'bythe sections 45,-and` these sections 48 may be swung to forma con#` tinuous roof. The sectionsf48 will be folded j over the supporting sections 45 beforethe are folded 'against the frames 44,

sections 4 5 f when the superstructure 'is to be concealed.

The meeting edges of the section 45 and 48 may have the longitudinal lots'49 formed,` l l0 5 therein to receive t ellets 5'O,`wh,ich may be slid in place when-the, superstructure 1s set up. This produces a water-tight joint and alsol assists in reinforcing these meet` ing edges.

T he frames 44 and 47 will'haive sash guides for the sashes 51, so that tlies'esashes may be raiscd'to'form a completely inclosed body, and the rear double i extensible frame to support a rear sash.

It is evident that by removing sills fromthe double side walls of the body, access may he had to the pocket, Vand then the extensible frames inay be raised and lockedjn any desired manner. Then the roof sections may be swung in place to receive the fillets and a rigid superstructure and side closures may be positioned to completely close the body or they may be slid into the pockets in the side walls in fair weather.

Various other modifications may be made in view of the foregoing from thespirit of this invention and no 1imitation is implied by the limited showing of the drawings herewith.

Having thus described this invention,

wall will also haveanr cover formed. The

without departingr loo Ielaim: 1. A convertible vehicle body eomprlsmg doubled side walls having pockets formed therein, sills hingedly mounted nt their ends.-

to said side walls to form envers over said oekets in certain positions thereof and to 'e swung upright in other positions ,thereof, tnpruils hln edly carried by said sill sec tions extensi le to form u, superstructure, curtains carried b said sidel wells in the pockets thereof en fasteners carried by seid extensible curtains having engagement with said topwreils tio-reinforce and lock said top rails Vin fixed position. i

2. A convertible vehicle body com rising doublmlgside walls having pockets ormed therein, sills hingedly mounted in said side walls, seid sills being formed in sections, said sills forming covers for said pocketsl in certain itions thereof, top rails hin edly carried by said sill sections, extensib e to form a superstructure, curtains extensibly carried in said wall pockets, crossbers at the ends of said' curtains, and fasteners carried by Bixid cross-bars for engagement with said top vrails to. reinforce sal htop rails and lock the separable parte et er.

l A convertible veh'inehody mmprising' doubled side walls forming pockets therein, sills about said side wells being hingedly mounted at the ends of said pockets, top

rails hingedly carried by said sill sections, being extensible to form a superstructure. curtains extensibly carried in said pockets in said doubled walls, cross-bers at the free ends of said curtains, said cross-bars including clamping plates :md fasteners for engagement with said top rails` to reinforce und lock said top rails, and n rear curtain extensible over seid superstructure having side flaps formed along the edges thereof to be gripped by the elampin plate of said `cross-laars on said extcnsibe curtains.

4. A convertible vehicle body comprising e collapsible superstructure, curtains extensibly carried by seid vehicle bod crossbars et the ends of said curtains, c amping plates carried by said cross-bars and fas teners carried by seid crossbars for engagement with said superstructureto reinforce und lock parte thereof together, and en extensible rear curtain to overlie seid superstructure and side flaps formed along the edges of said rear curtain to fold over the upper edges ofthe superstructure and be fripped by the clam ing plate on the crossmrs of the extensib e curtain.

In testi|nonywhereof I afix my signo.-4

turc in presence of two Witnesses.

ALBERT OWEN HOLTOM. Witnesses:

S. C. HAGGERTY, E. A. MURPHY. 

